After Family Members Themselves, Family Photos are Most Valuable Asset in the Home

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As we enter a season of family celebrations and vacations, Eye-Fi, makers of the world's first wireless memory card, reveals people's attitudes towards what they most value in their homes. A recent survey* reveals that in the case of a house fire, after knowing their loved ones were safe, 53 percent of people would save family photos above all other possessions. The findings bode well for Eye-Fi, which has created an entire ecosystem around sharing and backing up photos and videos.  

After family photos, people's treasured possessions were: other miscellaneous items (13 percent), electronics (12 percent), a specific item of clothing (10 percent), jewelry (9 percent), and a particular book (3 percent).

It's All About the Family

Eye-Fi users reported that kids and pets are the most popular photo subjects, especially in their early years.

"While I was pregnant, we received weekly requests from family for pictures and updates on what was happening," said Eye-Fi user and new mom, Meghan Michaels. "Realizing that the requests were only going to increase once our baby was born, we bought an Eye-Fi card and set up automatic uploads to our Picasa account. It saves us so much time and allows us to easily and frequently share new memories with family and friends."

Meghan's not unusual in the uptick of photography that accompanied motherhood. According to BabyCenter's "21st Century Mobile Mom® Report" smartphone adoption among moms rose 64 percent in less than two years, with 53 percent of women surveyed reporting that the purchase was directly related to becoming a mom.  The most common uses? Capturing and sharing photos and videos (with a combined uptick of 245 percent.

Lucky for moms, and the family and friends reliant on baby pics, Eye-Fi recently launched the Mobile X2 card with Direct Mode technology, connecting digital cameras directly to smartphones.  The release gives people the power of the digital camera – with the ability to zoom, catch action, shoot in low light and more – with the immediate connectivity of a smartphone or tablet.

Passion for Photos Travels

With summer travel season quickly approaching – from family vacations and summer camps to graduation trips – Eye-Fi found that the importance of photos is even higher on the road.  

While traveling, a full 61 percent of people would rather lose the clothes off their back than their camera and photo memories. With Eye-Fi, photos and videos are automatically backed-up to Eye-Fi View, providing instant peace of mind that memories are safe.

"After losing more than 2,000 of my favorite pictures of the Taj Majal and other travels throughout Europe, I started researching hard drives and other back-up systems – that's when I came across Eye-Fi," said avid photographer, traveler and Eye-Fi user, Corby Guenther. "My Eye-Fi card not only stores thousands of pictures, but it can also geotag each picture's location and automatically backs-up all images to my Eye-Fi account, ensuring that I never run into the same problem again."

Safely Store and Share

The final point the Eye-Fi data supported is that with the undisputed rise of online photo sharing, there's also widespread concern over privacy. Data showed that 77 percent of parents are concerned about potential privacy invasion issues associated with online photo-sharing.

Whether selecting certain photos to share on public sites like Facebook or Flickr, or privately sharing several images or full albums with trusted email contacts, Eye-Fi makes it easy. By simply logging into their Eye-Fi account from any device, users can view photos, publish them on the web, or share them via email. Additionally, Eye-Fi cards also feature Endless Memory Mode which enables the card to intelligently make space once content is safely delivered – meaning the card will never fill up and always has space for new family photos.

*The Eye-Fi survey was conducted by Ipsos MediaCT among 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and older between March 18 and March 21, 2011 via telephone using Random Digit Dialing. Ipsos MediaCT is a consultancy firm specializing in research solutions for companies in the fast-moving and rapidly converging worlds of media, content, telecoms and technology.

Eye-Fi products and services are now available at Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Radioshack, Office Depot and Apple stores nationwide and online. For more information about Eye-Fi, please visit www.eye.fi.

About Ipsos MediaCT

Ipsos MediaCT is the specialization within Ipsos dedicated to serving clients in the converging Media, Content, Telecoms and Technology Industries. Areas of expertise include audience measurement, consumer insight, customer acquisition and retention, market sizing and new product development. Our global team combines rigorous research skills with a clear business focus to assist companies in maximizing their return on investment.

About Eye-Fi

Founded in 2005, Eye-Fi is dedicated to building products and services that help consumers manage, nurture and share their visual memories. Eye-Fi's patented and patent-pending technology wirelessly and automatically uploads photos and videos from digital imaging devices, including digital cameras and the iPhone, to online, in-home and retail destinations. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the company's investors include LMS Capital, Opus Capital, Shasta Ventures and TransLink Capital. More information is available at www.eye.fi.

Eye-Fi memory cards work like a regular SDHC memory card and are compatible with most compact and DSLR cameras. Users can also select which photos and videos are uploaded, and where they're shared – choosing from 45 partner sites, including Flickr, Facebook, Picasa and more. Never run out of space with Endless Memory.

SOURCE Eye-Fi Inc.